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Chapter 22
Wearing the gas mask, I could feel my skin getting damp.
And like my grandmother's mutt, Ddol-i, staring at a dog treat, saliva threatened to trickle from the corners of my mouth. With a sharp inhale, I kept swallowing the drool trying to escape through my lips.
I figured it was probably a conditioned reflex from crying, sniveling, and drooling so much during chemical, biological, and radiological training. I think I even peed myself a little during that training, so it was a true blessing that hadn't become a conditioned reflex too.
Huff, huff.
After taking a few short breaths, I quickly scanned the interior of the B1 concourse.
It was definitely different from when we came out and went in. Instead of the ominous, hazy red emergency lights from when we escaped, the place was filled with bright white fluorescent light. Thanks to that, we could clearly see the garbage dump tangled with broken glass shards and smashed ceiling panels.
But letting our guard down was strictly forbidden.
Alteration-type Eye - Stage 1.
Even though there was no fog, I decided to use it to check anyway. Who knows, maybe using it would accumulate some invisible experience points and level it up?
Besides, if I wanted to pull a fast one later in Vegas or some gambling den, I needed to get used to it beforehand. Of course, it was also practice to endure the unpleasant sensation of my eyes burning hot and stinging like shampoo had gotten into them.
But definitely... the recoil was stronger than using it inside the fog.
Thump, thump.
Every time my pulse raced, the tiny blood vessels spread throughout my eyeballs seemed to throb along with it. How should I describe this sensation... It felt like my eyeballs were wrapped in very thin plastic wrap, but the plastic was slightly crinkled, so it didn't stick perfectly and scraped uncomfortably...
In a word, it was fucked up. But since there is a wide spectrum of fucked-up-ness, I decided to very meticulously analyze these pains and sensations as a mage researching magic.
The only relief was that my eyes didn't sting like they did when I looked at the road. I pondered briefly why there was such a difference and realized it immediately.
The road had people and vehicles moving on it, but this wrecked underground concourse was completely desolate.
It seemed the fewer targets there were to perceive, the more the magical recoil decreased.
The recoil dropped drastically when I was in the fog, and it decreased again when the future 10 seconds later wasn't significantly different from the present. I looked around to see how many footprints would be left in the future, 10 seconds from now, across this B1 concourse.
Fortunately, the biochemical warfare seemed to have worked properly, as no footprints were visible.
However, I recalled the ecology of the Predatory Spine that I had heard about in the earlier briefing. A monster sensitive to light, usually clinging to ceilings or pipes, or ambushing from unseen crevices before pouncing.
If it was that kind of monster, rather than rushing in as soon as it sensed a human presence, it was highly likely to patiently maintain its ambush even 10 seconds later.
I kept my guard up and shouldered my rifle, while Shin Na-in and Lee Se-jun also stayed alert, looking in different directions to secure our flanks. I waited for about 20 seconds. For now, there were no footprints near the entrance of the concourse.
"Turd. Hear anything? That guy Park Se-hyeok who kept muttering to himself could hear heartbeats, you know."
"Perhaps my resolve was pure, or maybe it's the instinct of the monsters. I survived because I started to hear those simple voices."
"Alteration-type Hearing Line Stage 2?"
"Probably. But I don't hear anything here. It seems like it's really dead."
While still maintaining my Stage 1 eye magic amidst that burning, unpleasant sensation, I quietly memorized this.
The Alteration-type Hearing Line hears sounds. Park Se-hyeok heard heartbeats, and Shin Na-in, that crazy bastard, could hear the inner voices of people's minds when he focused, and now he says he can hear the instinctive inner cries of monsters.
I wasn't sure if it was real or not, but it seemed I could rely on it for detection for now.
Clack.
With the metallic sound, our trio took the lead.
Of course, we could have used First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong and his soldiers as human detectors or biological armor, throwing them out to speed up the search. But First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong and his 30 soldiers were also people dragged into this, and I didn't want to recklessly throw them into danger.
Me, Baek Jemin.
I'm someone who researches magic and just wants to enjoy its power, not some malicious brute who indiscriminately harms people. I'm a person who can respect human life even without the law, a completely different person from Shin Na-in.
Anyway, thanks to that, the search of the B1 concourse progressed a bit slowly.
The officers on the surface said they had even used biochemical warfare to sweep the area once, but in this bizarre situation where monsters were attacking, preparing for the worst was a given. First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong and the soldiers kept to the areas we had scouted, focusing on securing the wide central passageways and spaces.
"Since the Operators seem to excel at detecting monsters, we'll focus our firepower. Stay sharp. If you get caught by the monsters, you'll be begging for death."
With First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong's warning, the soldiers took deep breaths with hardened eyes, double-checking for safety.
Instead of pushing forward all at once, our trio matched the soldiers' pace, working to secure safe zones and eliminate any potential risk factors. Having consumed all sorts of horror, creature, and zombie clichés in my free time, sloppy cleanup was unacceptable to me.
To reduce the magical recoil, I limited the spell by reactivating it only near corners or doors, and in this process, Shin Na-in's hearing line magic joined in to thoroughly ensure detection accuracy and readiness against danger.
The moment those preparations paid off was in front of the women's restroom.
Normally, I would never have loitered around such a place, but if we had skipped it with a careless mindset and the monsters ambushed the soldiers, it would have been a complete disaster. So we went to search it, and Shin Na-in's voice noticeably changed.
"The sound of nails scraping a chalkboard... There's a monster inside."
"How many?"
"One... But let's assume there are two or more and prepare accordingly, Mr. Baek Jemin."
On the other hand, there were no footprints visible outside the restroom.
Could an Amalgam be lying in wait inside? But if it was a Predatory Spine, it might jump out from an unexpected angle and snap our spines. More importantly, the fact that anything survived the biochemical purge...
Humans were stubborn, and those bastards were just as tough.
"Should we use a grenade here?"
Enduring the unpleasant recoil of the magic, I aimed my muzzle toward the restroom and asked Lee Se-jun and Shin Na-in.
Surprisingly, it was Lee Se-jun who stepped forward. Since he lacked detection abilities, he pitched his worth by briefly explaining his Alteration-type Magic - Heart Line.
"I'll handle this; I don't tire easily. We might need the grenades for heavier firepower, so let's save them for now. I'll lead the entry."
"That sounds incredibly dangerous..."
"I've got someone who sees 10 seconds into the future and a radar-ear who hears monsters for cover. Besides, we can't just throw grenades every time."
"Before that, let's speak with First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong. Lee Se-jun, would you mind handling that?"
"Yep."
While Shin Na-in, who could hear monsters, and I, who could see the future, waited with our rifles aimed at the restroom, Lee Se-jun, having volunteered for the entry team, spoke with First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong.
First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong seemed to feel an increased sense of dread and caution, knowing that entities had survived two weeks of biochemical warfare; he gave a stiff nod and barked another order to his soldiers.
"It's been determined that there are monsters in the B1 concourse. Don't let the fluorescent lights fool you—check your surroundings for fog again!"
Fog...
Indeed, fog tends to manifest wherever monsters are. However, the air in the B1 concourse looked crystal clear. Had the fog been sucked out during the three days of ventilation?
Yet, it was subtle; it was hard to tell if the heavy layer settling over the concourse was a cloud of dust or fog. A thin layer of dust about 5mm thick wafted across the floor, looking like fog one moment and simple accumulation the next.
Still, since it was confirmed a monster was present, it was safer to assume it was fog.
After a brief preparation, it was decided that Lee Se-jun would enter while Shin Na-in and I positioned ourselves at roughly 45-degree angles to cover the restroom. Lee Se-jun checked his weapon once more, taking deep breaths to compose himself.
Huff, huff—.
The breaths he exhaled through the gas mask might be his last.
Under artificial lights where not a single ray of sunlight reached, he might face a fate of being desecrated and violated by a monster, wishing he had just been killed. Yet, despite his hesitation and trembling fear, Lee Se-jun stepped forward.
"Entry!"
Simultaneously, Shin Na-in and I moved.
But as the one who sees 10 seconds into the future, I was inevitably faster. As soon as Lee Se-jun entered, he lowered his center of gravity to clear the line of fire for those behind him, and thanks to that, I saw footprints over his back.
Red footprints were scattered chaotically across the ceiling. I recognized them instantly. The movements of Amalgams weren't much different from a sprinting human, so this erratic movement...
It was a Predatory Spine.
Instead of aiming for the main body, I targeted the footprints and pulled the trigger in one motion.
My accuracy was closer to suppressive fire than a lethal shot, but I felt no shame. Even a master marksman's zero would have been thrown off in this chaos.
Bang! Ba-bang!
Along with the sound of shell casings clattering onto the restroom tiles, ribs flashed quickly across the red footprints. It looked like a snow-white centipede racing across the ceiling.
However, seeing the skull with pale eyeballs, the missing jaw, and a lolling tongue dripping cold saliva as it crawled along the walls seeking an opening made me want to hug a real centipede instead.
The Predatory Spine twisted its long body, flowing along the restroom walls with its ribs, and fixed its gaze on Lee Se-jun, who had not yet reacted properly.
Fast.
The moment I aimed for the footprints and fired, I hit the ribs rather than the head.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Even as I fired and Lee Se-jun, crouching, began firing back in a half-panic, it was of little use. The Predatory Spine's movements were just barely faster than our muzzles could track.
With its pale eyes still locked on Lee Se-jun, the monster sprinted across the walls and ceiling, its head tilted as if staring directly at Lee Se-jun's hands and shoulders.
The sound of ricochets and clattering shells echoed everywhere, but we couldn't land a significant hit.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
As the ribs drummed against the wall, a bead of cold sweat rolled down the bridge of my nose.
Its speed... is insane.
Speed? Is that the right word?
It's different from an Amalgam. If the Amalgams feared my vision, this thing... is it deceiving me?
Fuck... I can't even hit it properly when I'm aiming at footprints from 10 seconds in the future!
In that instant, without hesitation, I crouched and slammed my left hand onto my knee.
Alteration-type Eye Stage 2.
My pain is longer and deeper than any other...
"Aaaagh!"
The moment I screamed, the Predatory Spine slipped from the wall and crashed to the floor.
Just as it was moving across the mirror of the restroom sink, it fell onto the counter, shivering with its pale eyes trembling, unable to even writhe. Only then did we witness the horrific form of the monster with our own eyes rather than through reference footage, and even Lee Se-jun, who had bravely volunteered to enter, wavered.
However, even if Lee Se-jun was terrible at social etiquette, he knew exactly when to pull the trigger.
Without hesitation, Lee Se-jun dumped his remaining ammunition into the monster's head.
Ba-bang, bang... bang-bang...
The gunfire only ceased when Lee Se-jun's trigger could be pulled no further.
Click, click, click.
Acrid gun smoke wafted through the air, and the casing of the very last round in the chamber clattered to the floor, but Lee Se-jun kept pulling the trigger. Only then did I finally close my eyes.
Blink.
Have you ever seen a dead bug keep frantically moving and curling its legs even after it dies? The Predatory Spine was exactly like that.
As if trying to make its joints scrape and crash together, the monster tangled and struck its mutated ribs, desperately trying to swing its tail. It was like a bedbug or a flea thrusting its hips in a final attempt to reproduce right before death.
But Lee Se-jun, Shin Na-in, and I all kept our distance.
Like that, an opaque, pale pinkish bodily fluid flowed across the restroom sink and gurgled down the drain. Seeing that made me completely lose my appetite, and I instinctively brought my hand to my face.
Urp.
Only then did I realize I was wearing leather gloves and a gas mask.
I squeezed my eyes shut. It wasn't because of the magic's recoil, but rather because fully grasping the reality of this fucked up monster we were facing just made me want to keep them closed.
Fuck, I almost found myself agreeing with China's opinion that we should just drop three 1-megaton hydrogen bombs on Seoul and baptize the entire Korean Peninsula with nukes to make it uninhabitable. If foreigners saw this sight, it was obvious they would dance wildly on the nuclear button instead of sending aid.
They might even try to exterminate the very Koreans they evacuated.
Why did these fucked up bastards have to pop out in Seoul, South Korea, of all places, out of 8 billion people and 200-something countries? If these motherfuckers were going to pop out, they should have done it somewhere like Africa and gotten a nice nuclear steaming before dying out.
However, I soon found peace of mind.
Right. Nothing in this world is easy. I was going to face these bastards frequently in the future to gain the omnipotent power of magic, so it was better to get used to them early. Who knows, maybe if I see them often, they'll become familiar.
There might come a future where I'm dragging around fucked up monsters like the Predatory Spine on a leash like a dog.
I detached the magazine and estimated the number of remaining bullets. It seemed I had poured 12 rounds out of a 20-round magazine into it. It was a decent performance for firing semi-automatic in a half-panic, though it was a bit excessive for taking down a single monster.
It was the first time I realized my index finger could move that fast.
Anyway, with 8 rounds left, I couldn't waste them, so I had to reload.
I placed a hand on the shoulder of Lee Se-jun, who was still clicking away at the trigger, and looked at Shin Na-in.
"Mr. Shin Na-in. Can you hear Mr. Lee Se-jun's inner voice?"
Only then did Shin Na-in seem to snap out of his daze; he shook his head and checked his own magazine.
It seemed Shin Na-in had fired from the back as well, since acrid smoke was drifting from his muzzle. All three of us must have fired in a trance. Shin Na-in seemed to have some ammo left and hesitated slightly, but he spoke only after mercilessly reloading a fresh magazine.
"Mr. Lee Se-jun is thinking that next time, we should just toss a grenade in."
"Hmm."
It was a valid point.
It was much better to just use a grenade than to have your spine snapped and a monster bred inside you while trying to show off your abilities.
"Let's go, Mr. Lee Se-jun. We need to report to First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong."
***
A moment later, First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong, having heard our report, immediately contacted the surface via radio.
Not long after, the next squad was deployed, consisting of officers and soldiers from the biochemical unit. The commander of the follow-up unit was Major Jang Sin-myeong, and while he only brought about a dozen or so soldiers, he seemed to handle things quite adeptly.
"Operators and troops under First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong, please maintain your guard. We've brought a flamethrower, so we'll incinerate the monster's corpse."
"Yes, sir!"
With First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong's booming response, the search resumed.
Fortunately, no more living monsters were seen, though there were monster corpses, suggesting the biochemical warfare hadn't been entirely ineffective.
The vast majority of them were Amalgams; it seemed they tried to flee to higher ground to escape the gas but ultimately suffocated, dying tangled up together in that corner, leaking a pus-like fluid. Seeing that yellowish-brown fluid, looking like vomit mixed with human blood, made my stomach churn.
The corpses of the Amalgams, especially the bright red spots floating on the limbs that still maintained a human physical form, were also bizarre beyond belief.
Thanks to our trio's magic-based detection and Lee Se-jun's paranoid readiness after facing the Predatory Spine, no further incidents occurred.
It was there I realized that the giant Amalgam chasing behind me during our escape wasn't alone.
One cut down by machine gun fire, one rolling around here, and... the one that ate the Priest.
"Shouldn't there be one more besides this guy?"
"How do you know, Mr. Baek Jemin?"
Shin Na-in, who was in a better state than Lee Se-jun, asked.
Instead of putting on airs or playing the mystic with a "Do you not know?" attitude, I shared the information freely with the members of the Supreme Mage's death squad.
"I don't see the bodies of Bosal Geulmun and Priest Jeong Yong-hwan."
"They're both heretics."
"That's not the important part... well, I guess it is to you."
I corrected myself, recalling Shin Na-in's mantra of trying to stop the authority of the Satanic Demon.
To someone, it might be the most desperate thing.
Anyway, thanks to this, the safety of the 1st-floor concourse was secured once more. First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong immediately stationed guards at the stairs leading to B2, and Major Jang Sin-myeong spent his time bustling around with his biochemical unit, carrying various equipment.
Our trio kept watch near the stairs leading to B2 along with First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong.
"Mr. Lee Se-jun, it's safe for now, so you don't need to keep your weapon shouldered."
"No, sir. I feel like I'll go crazy if I'm not aiming down the sights."
Lee Se-jun had transformed into a thoroughbred soldier, reborn as a sentry aiming down the stairs with the soldiers with a terrifying gaze. I tried to stop him because I thought he'd tire out quickly, but then I remembered Lee Se-jun was a Mage of the Heart Line.
I figured it was actually beneficial to let someone with the vitality to sprint at full speed for 30 seconds without tiring take charge of the guard duty, so I left him alone.
As a few dozen minutes passed, Major Jang Sin-myeong approached as the ventilation shafts spun to life, bringing with him the nauseating smell of burning Amalgam corpses. He had finished inspecting the fire sprinklers, fire hydrants, and fire extinguishers to prevent any potential fires.
Major Jang Sin-myeong gathered everyone including First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong via radio, and then took off his gas mask where our trio was standing.
Major Jang Sin-myeong had a bit of an M-shaped receding hairline that completely exposed his forehead, but his facial features themselves were quite handsome, close to being a pretty boy. Aside from showing slight signs of aging, he looked like a respectable member of society.
"Phew... The first basement level is fine. The detoxification finished without needing much effort. You can take off your gas masks and operate normally here."
"Yes, sir! Thank you for your hard work!"
"Yes, yes, you worked hard too. More importantly, I have something to discuss with the Operators and First Lieutenant Baek. You said there might be more monsters left?"
"Yes."
I was the first to nod at those words.
Of course, I did so while still keeping my eyes glued to the bottom of the stairs. Beneath the crumpled and torn Emergency Shutter, the escalator stairs I had climbed up with Priest Jeong Yong-hwan were the ones we would now have to descend.
"There are definitely two Operators who had their heads eaten by Amalgams, but their corpses weren't in the 1st-floor concourse."
"...."
First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong flinched without even thinking about taking off his gas mask.
Major Jang Sin-myeong also furrowed his brow, then stroked his cleanly shaved jaw and let out a pained groan.
"That is concerning. To think they survived the cyanogen chloride..."
"Sir. Is there anything we should be careful about?"
"Ventilation has been conducted, but you must be careful when entering enclosed spaces. There might still be blood agents lingering. Leather Gloves... Sigh. I guess it's better to have them to prevent biological contamination from the monsters? Normally, we shouldn't be handing those out..."
Major Jang Sin-myeong muttered to himself, expressing his concern, before looking around the concourse filled with shattered glass.
"Just in case, let's set up a base here and make sure you grab some spare filters before heading down. Let me contact the surface. I'll give First Lieutenant Baek and the soldiers some extra filters, too."
"Thank you, sir! Yes, sir!"
First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong said in a slightly brightened tone.
Anyway, when the expert said it was okay to take off the gas masks in the B1 concourse, I felt like I could finally breathe again. When I took off the gas mask to shake off the damp rubber, the foul stench of burning corpses was the first thing to greet me.
"Hmm~. Don't they have any corpses burning with a phytoncide scent?"
"Mr. Baek Jemin, please stop spouting such bullshit."
"Mr. Lee Se-jun, why don't you take off your gas mask too?"
"I'm fine."
Perhaps the near-death experience with the Predatory Spine had left a deep impression, as Lee Se-jun maintained his rigid posture.
If he didn't want to, there was nothing I could do. Shin Na-in and I decided to focus on breathing without gas masks, despite the foul odor. The sensation of the underground breeze against my damp skin felt quite alien.
At that moment, Shin Na-in gave a slight hand gesture and called me over.
"I have something to say to you in private."
At those words, I thought the inevitable had finally come.
Had that motherfucker Lee Se-jun finally lost his patience and decided to frag me? Abandoning our oath, like the oath of the Peach Garden of our Supreme Mages? It was highly likely Shin Na-in had heard it with his Alteration-type Hearing Line magic.
Assuming that and glancing at Lee Se-jun, I quietly leaned my ear toward Shin Na-in, only to hear an unexpected answer.
"Mr. Baek Jemin. You said we couldn't find the bodies, right?"
"Well, yeah..."
"I can hear them."
"Hear what?"
Unlike my intuitive, clear, and perfectly transparent way of speaking, this bastard seemed obsessed with acting cool. Just as I was considering beating him with my buttstock, Shin Na-in whispered with a rather serious expression.
"Among the sounds of nails scraping a chalkboard, I hear a voice seeking the Lord. This is..."
I held out my hand to Shin Na-in, cutting off his next words.
The Priest is alive? That thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I saw his head melt away; if he was still alive after that, he was already a monster.
Feeling a sudden, intense thirst, I took out my canteen and took a sip, then two... no, three sips before I could finally wet my parched lips.
"Good thing we saved the grenades."
End